Abstract
Despite the historical record, the United Kingdom, like other countries, was slow to recognize the value of forensic odontology as an adjunct to legal proceedings. Increased recognition of the benefits bestowed by the subject largely results from the efforts of Scandinavian workers and the Federation Dentaire International (FDI). By promoting forensic odontology in the academic environment, the FDI and its contributors did much to underscore its claims to academic respectability. This has led to its acceptance in assisting the legal process in many countries, although it remains a minority speciality. Like other jurisdictions, British courts have recognized that dental expertise can be useful in resolving legal questions. However, it has to be accepted that it is an adjunct to these proceedings, and not a prime mover. Trial by experts is not liked by the courts; they prefer a system in which all of the evidence placed before them is considered in context, and not in isolation. Only in that way can a true determination of the issues be made. It is this dislike, or perhaps concern that experts could usurp the role of the court, that has been an impediment to the acceptance of the expert in trials. However, despite these misgivings, forensic odontology is widely accepted by all of the UK courts. Increasing sophistication in the methodologies available means that the value placed on the subject has increased. The courts have recognized this and are much more demanding of those who would claim that they are experts. This is quite different from some aspects of an editorial in The Lancet for 15 December 1951, which reported that “teeth have often played a distinctive part in reconstructing crime” (Anon 1951).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Anon (1951) Forensic importance of teeth. Lancet 258:1127
Anon (2012) Moral decay at GSK reaps record $3billion fine. Lancet 380:2
Clark M, Crawford C (1994) Introduction. In: Clarke M, Crawford C (eds) Legal medicine in history. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 9–10
Crawford C (1994) Legalising medicine; early modern legal systems and the growth of medico-legal knowledge. In: Clarke M, Crawford C (eds) Legal medicine in history. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 89–109
Dyer C (2012) Doctor’s failing as an expert witness were dangerous court finds. BMJ 345:6
Eigen JP (1994) ‘I answer as a physician.’ Opinion as fact in pre-McNaughton insanity trials. In: Clarke M, Crawford C (eds) Legal medicine in history. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 167–168
Foster KR, Huber PW (1997) Judging science: scientific knowledge and the federal courts. MIT Press, London
Hill IR (2000) Evidential value of bitemarks is forensic odontology. In: Willems G (ed) IOFOS millenium symposium. Leuven University Press, pp 93–98
Hill IR, Holt JK et al. (1984) The United Kingdom. In: Hill IR (ed) Forensic Odontology, its scope and history. IOFOS, Marsh Gibbon, pp 216–217
Keane A (1994) The modern law of evidence, 3rd edn. Butterworths, London
Robertson B, Vignaux GA (1995) Interpreting evidence: evaluating forensic science in the courtroom. Wiley, Chichester
Spencer JR (1990) In: Spencer JR (ed) Jackson’s machinery of justice, 8th edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 16–17
Tormey WP (2012) Cannabis misinterpretation and misadventure in a coroner’s court. Med Sci Law 52:229–230
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hill, I.R., Hardy, J. (2014). Forensic Odontology in the United Kingdom. In: Rötzscher, K. (eds) Forensic and Legal Dentistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01330-5_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01330-5_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-01329-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-01330-5
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)